Srinagar: Blinded by pellets fired by forces, 14-year-old Insha Malik of Seadow Shopian presently undergoing treatment at AIIMS New Delhi is suffering from a deadly infection, which has affected her brain, hospital sources told Kashmir Observer.
The sources said some of the pellets, which pierced her body particularly face couldn’t be timely removed from the nasal canal, mounted between the two eyes. As a result, the medicos said, the pellets caused a serious “secondary infection” in her body.
“With the brain being too close to the spot which caused secondary infection we apprehend her brain is affected,” said a medico asking not to be identified.
The poor patient, as per the doctors, has started showing symptoms of abnormal impact on her brain. Insha who keeps crying in pain without a break, occasionally makes unnatural utterances. “My get me oranges. Get me Anarkali dress, I want to wear it,” the girl, blindfolded for around a month recently told her parents.
Doctors said “These are simply symptoms that her brain is not working properly.” “In other words secondary infection has affected her brain…She is not in proper senses.”
Last month, the 9th standard student Insha Malik lost vision when her eyes were pierced by pellets fired by forces in south Kashmir. Doctors earlier treating her at SMHS Hospital had diagnosed that there are “zero chances” of the teenager regaining vision.
The pellets had gouged her right eye while regaining vision in her left wounded eye is feared to be impossible.
According to her family, Insha was in the first floor of her house at Seadow when forces fired pellets inside their house. “She screamed and fell unconscious. In no time, her face swell,” recalled one of the witnesses. The family says there were no protests in the area when the poor girl was targeted.
Prominent medico and Doctors Association of Kashmir, President, Dr Nisar Ul Hassan who had seen Insha during her hospitalization at SMHS Hospital said such infection was quite apprehended in case of pellet injuries.
“She might be having altered sensorium. Otherwise also its sepsis syndrome,” the medico said adding “from septic shock to multi-organ failure, it can even cause death.”
Despite massive public outrage against the use of pellet guns and High Court directives asking the Mehbooba Mufti led government to reconsider decision on the use of this weapon, it continues to be used on the unarmed civilians.
Over 6000 pellets have been fired on the people of Kashmir in the past over a month of agitation which erupted in the wake of killing of militant Burhan Muzaffar Wani on July 8.
The pellet gun use has even been condemned in the Parliament with MPs saying that even Isreal doesn’t use this weapon against Palestinians. The pellets, however, continue to haunt Kashmir.
Over 300 persons have already been left blind. Hundreds others are suffering from deadly multiple perforations all over the body including vital organs. Many have already died.
Though Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti recently visited New Delhi, she didn’t visit the wounded undergoing treatment at AIIMS, the attendants said. Over a month on into crises, she has not visited any hospital in Kashmir either.
Meanwhile back to AIIMS, Insha continues to be in unbearable pain. Often she cries: “I want to take out my eyes and all that is inside, giving me pain!”
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